Sony’s new noise-cancelling headphones may be about to launch

It’s been three long years since Sony launched its flagship phone WH-1000XM5 Headphones, our pick for The best wireless headphones for most peopleso we need to stay tuned — and regulatory filing suggests the XM6 cans may be almost ready for launch. The FCC filing notes a minor redesign, including a new hinge and what appear to be detachable ear cups.

Walkman Blog Spotted for the first time Depositwhich includes a product diagram showing some details of the right earcup. More interestingly, the diagram shows the earpad being lifted to reveal the location of the “user visible nameplate” containing the model and serial numbers. since FCC requires. Users can access this nameplate, and it seems likely that the plate is installed without screws, although we don’t know if that was with clips, magnets, or something else. The XM5s hid its FCC details under the inner edge of the pads instead, which were not removable.

Otherwise there wouldn’t be much to glean from the recording. The hinges on the headphones look a little different than the previous generation, although there’s no reason yet to think that means a return to the foldable design of the headphones. XM4s. The Bluetooth version is reported to be 5.3, and there are some details about antenna and power specifications, but nothing to indicate how the headphones will look or sound.

The FCC filing doesn’t mention these headphones as the XM6 headphones, but the model numbers seem to give them away. These headphones carry the model number YY2984, which is remarkably similar to the YY2954 of the XM5. The only note of caution is that the model tested is classified as a prototype, not a pre-production or mass-production unit, so some details may change before release.

The FCC filing includes a “short-term secrecy” order with a date expiring on July 22, 2025, which certainly suggests we’ll get an official reveal before then. The XM5s launched in May 2022, so another spring release may be scheduled.